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When Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath asked Sam Altman to picture the life of a 25-year-old in Mumbai or Bengaluru, the OpenAI chief didn’t hesitate. For him, this is not just a good time to begin a career — it may well be the best in history.
Speaking on Kamath’s WTF podcast, Altman painted an upbeat picture of what artificial intelligence means for young Indians stepping into the workforce. “I think this is probably the most exciting time to be starting out one’s career, maybe ever,” he said, according to the show’s transcript.
AI as a co-founder and leveller
Altman explained that today’s 25-year-old can achieve what once required decades of experience or entire teams. Whether it is coding, media creation or building a company, tools like OpenAI’s GPT-5 can act as a co-founder, strategist and operations team all at once.
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“You could use GPT-5 to help you write the software for a product, handle customer support, draft marketing plans, even review legal documents,” he said. “All of these things that once required a lot of expertise, you now have AI to help you do.”
For India, Altman sees immense promise. “If there is one large society in the world that seems most enthusiastic to transform with AI right now, it’s India,” he told Kamath, highlighting the entrepreneurial energy and rapid adoption of AI tools. Indian user feedback, he added, has already influenced OpenAI’s products.
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An open canvas for ideas
Altman described the AI era as an “open canvas” where creativity is the main differentiator and constraints are fewer than ever. For young founders, this means the ability to launch ambitious projects with limited resources. For job seekers, it opens opportunities in areas such as science, software development and emerging media, where AI speeds up what individuals can create.
On parenthood and the role of community
The conversation also touched on personal themes. When asked about becoming a parent, Altman called it “the coolest, most amazing, most emotionally overwhelming experience,” adding that starting a family has been more rewarding than he ever imagined.
He also reflected on the social fabric in an AI-driven world. “It’s a problem for society that those things have been in retreat,” he said, expressing hope that as abundance and free time increase, people will rediscover the importance of family and community.
India at the forefront of change
Altman’s message to a 25-year-old in Mumbai or Bengaluru was simple — technology today amplifies human potential like never before. With AI as a partner, opportunities are no longer defined by geography or resources, but by the boldness of ideas.
He also touched on how AGI could reshape the global economy, from universal basic income to the possibility of negative interest rates in a world of technological abundance. While acknowledging the uncertainties in this transition, Altman said India is not only an early adopter of AI but also a future creator of world-class platforms, placing the country at the centre of the coming economic and social shifts.
English (US) ·